"The head of the Iraqi Intelligence Service, Muhamad
Abdullah Al-Shahwani, criticized the Iranian intelligence services for seeking
to, 'abort the experiment with the Awakening Councils' which are battling
elements of al-Qaeda in Iraq."

The head of the
Iraqi Intelligence Service, Muhamad Abdullah Al-Shahwani , yesterday
criticized the Iranian intelligence services for seeking to, “abort the
experiment with the Awakening Councils ,” which are
battling elements of al-Qaeda in Iraq. For his part, an advisor to the
Awakening Councils, Tamir Al-Tamimi, told Azzaman, "the Awakening
Councils have been targeted by the Iranians, either directly or indirectly,
through terrorist organizations that cooperate with Iran, such as
al-Qaeda."

He explained that
these targetings often consist of attacks with explosive devices, suicide
bombers or car bombs. Replying to a question about the government's
relationship to the [Shiite] militias, Al-Tamimi said: “There is no contact or
coordination with them.” He also stressed that, “the Awakening Councils are
always exposed to misbehavior from the militias, as has frequently occurred in
neighborhoods of Baghdad such as Abu Ghraib, Al-Taji, Al-Basam, and the
neighborhoods of Al-Amil, Al-Azmia, Al-Fadal, and others.” And he said, “We
have always opposed and responded to such misbehavior.”

Al-Tamimi
stressed that, “The government's problem isn’t just material.” He pointed out that
a number of senior officials refuse to recognize the Awakening Councils and the
positive role they have played in bringing new hope. And he emphasized that
this "non-recognition has a negative impact on our work.”

Expanding on a
statement issued by the Iraqi Intelligence Service, Al-Shahwani said that there
is now information to confirm that throughout Iraq, Iranian intelligence has
been paying certain elements to undermine the Awakening Councils.

About 80,000
people have joined the Awakening Councils since the beginning of last year,
boosting the total number to 130,000. With the financial support of the
American Army, the Councils were created to confront al-Qaeda when the
government proved incapable of addressing the country's security situation.

For his part,
U.S. Embassy spokesman Philip Reeker said, “The fingerprints of Iranian
intervention in Iraqi affairs are clear if one looks at the attempts to create
sectarian violence in Iraq, as well as their support of several armed groups.”
He said that it's the hope of the American government that Iran will contribute
to the stability and security of Iraq.

Screen grab of British hostage Peter Moore, kidnapped
eight minths ago with four other Britons and being held by an
unidentified group thought to be supported by Iran.

Iraqi intelligence,
without revealing the name of their sources, said that on Thursday, Iran paid
for the distribution of a video tape that shows one of the five Britons who
were kidnapped from the Ministry of Finance building in central Baghdad on May
29, 2007 WATCH. The release of the tape came in the form
of a reply to the arrest of 14 members of Iranian intelligence and members of
the Revolutionary Guard by American forces south of Baghdad. They were caught
with maps, building plans and instructions on how to assemble IEDs, and mortar
shells.

The tape included
an interview with a man who spoke in English. He said his name was Peter Moore
and that he had been detained for nearly eight months. [Moore worked for
BearingPoint, a U.S.-based management consulting firm]. The tape is thought to
have been recorded a month ago. It's likely that the hostages were taken from
Baghdad to the border region close to Iran under the protection of powerful
militias that operate there. Iraqi Intelligence chief Al-Shahwani said that,
"the group that claimed responsibility, the Islamic Shiite Resistance in
Iraq, is fictitious. There is no armed faction that bears that name." It
is thought likely that a group attached to one of the Iranian groups working in
Iraq.

Posted by WORLDMEETS.US

Tension between
the Americans and Iranians has escalated since the Iranian side rejected a
meeting on Iraq's security with the Americans, and governmental officials in
Baghdad said that a number militia and religious party officials have denied
any knowledge of the abduction of the five Britons. Prime Minister Maliki, in order
to mediate a solution to this issue, canceled one of his visits to Basra at the
end of last year, but failed to obtain a clear answer, according to one of his
advisers.

Posted by WORLDMEETS.US

In this
connection, the British Prime Minister's office announced yesterday that
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown held talks about the video tape with Prime
Minister Maliki.